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Elkanah and His Wives

Now there was a certain man from (A)Ramathaim-zophim from the (B)hill country of Ephraim, and his name was (C)Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. Now he had (D)two wives: the name of one was (E)Hannah and the name of the other Peninnah; and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

Now that man would go up from his city (F)yearly (G)to worship and to sacrifice to [a]Yahweh of hosts in (H)Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests to Yahweh there. And the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, and he (I)would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and her daughters; but to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah, (J)but Yahweh had closed her womb. Her rival, however, (K)would provoke her bitterly to irritate her because Yahweh had closed her womb. And so it would happen year after year, as often as she went up to the house of Yahweh, she would provoke her; so she wept and would not eat. Then Elkanah her husband said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep and why do you not eat and why is your heart sad? (L)Am I not better to you than ten sons?”

Then Hannah rose after eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of (M)the temple of Yahweh. 10 And she, bitter of soul, prayed to Yahweh and wept despondently. 11 And she (N)made a vow and said, “O Yahweh of hosts, if You will indeed (O)look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a seed amongst men, then I will give him to Yahweh all the days of his life, and (P)a razor shall never come on his head.”

12 Now it happened, as she multiplied her praying before Yahweh, that Eli was watching her mouth. 13 As for Hannah, (Q)she was speaking in her heart; only her lips were moving, but her voice was not heard. So Eli thought she was drunk. 14 Then Eli said to her, “(R)How long will you make yourself drunk? Put away your wine from you.” 15 But Hannah answered and said, “No, my lord, I am a woman [b]oppressed in spirit; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I (S)have poured out my soul before Yahweh. 16 Do not [c]consider your maidservant as a vile woman, for I have spoken until now out of my great complaint and [d]provocation.” 17 Then Eli answered and said, “(T)Go in peace; and may the God of Israel (U)grant your petition that you have asked of Him.” 18 And she said, “(V)Let your servant-woman find favor in your sight.” So the woman went her way and ate, and (W)her face was no longer sad.

The Birth of Samuel

19 Then they arose early in the morning and worshiped before Yahweh and turned back and came to their house in (X)Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and (Y)Yahweh remembered her. 20 Now it happened [e]in due time that Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son; and she named him Samuel, saying, “(Z)Because I have asked him of Yahweh.”

21 Then the man Elkanah (AA)went up with all his household to offer to Yahweh the yearly sacrifice and pay his vow. 22 But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “I will not go up until the young boy is weaned; then I will (AB)bring him, that he may appear before Yahweh and (AC)stay there forever.” 23 (AD)And Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what is good in your eyes. Remain until you have weaned him; only (AE)may Yahweh establish His word.” So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him. 24 Now when she had weaned him, (AF)she took him up with her, with a three-year-old bull and one [f]ephah of flour and a jug of wine and brought him to (AG)the house of Yahweh in Shiloh, although the boy was young. 25 Then (AH)they slaughtered the bull and (AI)brought the young boy to Eli. 26 And she said, “Oh, my lord! (AJ)As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you, praying to Yahweh. 27 (AK)For this young boy I prayed, and Yahweh has given me my petition which I asked of Him. 28 (AL)So I have also [g]dedicated him to Yahweh; as long as he lives, he is [h]dedicated to Yahweh.” So (AM)he worshiped Yahweh there.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 1:3 The personal covenant name of God, a form of I AM WHO I AM, cf. Ex 3:14-15
  2. 1 Samuel 1:15 Lit severe
  3. 1 Samuel 1:16 Lit give
  4. 1 Samuel 1:16 Lit my provocation
  5. 1 Samuel 1:20 Lit at the circuit of the days
  6. 1 Samuel 1:24 An ephah was approx. 21 qt. or 23 l
  7. 1 Samuel 1:28 Lit lent; Heb sounds like root for Samuel
  8. 1 Samuel 1:28 Lit lent; Heb sounds like root for Samuel

The Birth of Samuel

There was a certain man of (A)Ramathaim-zophim of (B)the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, (C)an Ephrathite. He had two wives. The name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other, Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

Now this man used to go up (D)year by year from his city (E)to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts (F)at Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests of the Lord. On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, (G)he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. But to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the Lord had closed her womb.[a] And her rival used to provoke her grievously to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb. So it went on year by year. As often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat. And Elkanah, her husband, said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? (H)Am I not more to you than ten sons?”

After they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, Hannah rose. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of (I)the temple of the Lord. 10 She was (J)deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. 11 And she (K)vowed a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed (L)look on the affliction of your servant and (M)remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, (N)and no razor shall touch his head.”

12 As she continued praying before the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. 13 Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman. 14 And Eli said to her, “How long will you go on being drunk? Put your wine away from you.” 15 But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but (O)I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord. 16 Do not regard your servant as (P)a worthless woman, for all along I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation.” 17 Then Eli answered, (Q)“Go in peace, and the God of Israel (R)grant your petition that you have made to him.” 18 And she said, (S)“Let your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then the woman (T)went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.

19 They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord; then they went back to their house at (U)Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord (V)remembered her. 20 And in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said, “I have asked for him from the Lord.”[b]

Samuel Given to the Lord

21 The man Elkanah and all his house (W)went up to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and to pay his vow. 22 But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “As soon as the child is weaned, I will bring him, so that he may appear in the presence of the Lord (X)and dwell there forever.” 23 (Y)Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best to you; wait until you have weaned him; (Z)only, may the Lord establish his word.” So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him. 24 And when she had weaned him, (AA)she took him up with her, along with a three-year-old bull,[c] an ephah[d] of flour, and a skin of wine, and she brought him to (AB)the house of the Lord at Shiloh. And the child was young. 25 Then they slaughtered the bull, and they brought the child to Eli. 26 And she said, “Oh, my lord! (AC)As you live, my lord, I am the woman who was standing here in your presence, praying to the Lord. 27 For this child I prayed, (AD)and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. 28 Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.”

(AE)And he worshiped the Lord there.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 1:5 Syriac; the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain. Septuagint And, although he loved Hannah, he would give Hannah only one portion, because the Lord had closed her womb
  2. 1 Samuel 1:20 Samuel sounds like the Hebrew for heard of God
  3. 1 Samuel 1:24 Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint, Syriac; Masoretic Text three bulls
  4. 1 Samuel 1:24 An ephah was about 3/5 bushel or 22 liters